Chapter 1: Environment for Learning

(From the upcoming Teachers’ Workbook for Roadmap for Reading Instruction. See chapter one of Roadmap for Reading Instruction for the content that corresponds to these activities.)

A. Understanding and Recall

Respond to the following questions and activities to ensure that you have a basic understanding of the chapter content.

1. What are the three keys for creating an environment for learning?

1.  

2.  

3.  

2. Match the threat response to a student action. Some actions may relate to multiple responses, but each action will fit one response best.

Action	Response (circle one)
Breaking items	Fight Flight Freeze
Giving up	Fight Flight Freeze
Going off task	Fight Flight Freeze
Hiding	Fight Flight Freeze
Making inappropriate jokes	Fight Flight Freeze
Insulting	Fight Flight Freeze
Giving intentionally wrong answers	Fight Flight Freeze
Keeping quiet	Fight Flight Freeze
Punching	Fight Flight Freeze
Keeping silent when asked a question	Fight Flight Freeze
Skipping class	Fight Flight Freeze
Coming to class late	Fight Flight Freeze
Throwing objects	Fight Flight Freeze

3. How does student grouping contribute to a positive learning environment?

Answer:

4. What are two advantages that small groups offer compared to individual learning activities?

1.  

2.  

5. How do individual and small-group activities support or contribute to each other?

Answer:

6. What is the recommended time span for reading instruction?

Answer:

B. Study and Explore

Use the following activities and questions to strengthen your understanding of the chapter content and to apply the chapter content to your instruction.

If you are in a study group, compare and contrast your ideas with other group members’ ideas. For “group” items, respond according to your classroom and then work with your group members to create a common response. For “individual” items, respond according to your classroom only.

If you are not in a study group, consider all items a “individual.” Find one or two other people to discuss your responses.

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the following items. [group]

a. Overall classroom emotional climate:

1 (hostile and aggressive)

2

3

4

5 (collaborative and supportive)

Why did you give that rating for the classroom climate? (What is your evidence?)

b. Level of student enthusiasm for reading instruction:

1 (they hate it)

2

3

4

5 (they want more)

Why did you give that rating for student enthusiasm? (What is your evidence?)

2. Provide a specific example you have observed for each type of threat response, the likely cause for the student’s reaction, and a possible action you can take to remove or mitigate the cause. [group]

Response	Possible cause	Action to try
Fight
Flight
Freeze

3. What are some ways that you respond when students misbehave or when they do not participate in a lesson? How successful are these methods at preventing the undesired behavior in the future? (0 = no effect at all; 5 = the behavior never occurs again) [individual]

Method	Rating
a.	0 1 2 3 4 5
b.	0 1 2 3 4 5
c.	0 1 2 3 4 5
d.	0 1 2 3 4 5
e.	0 1 2 3 4 5

4. List four statements that you use, or can use, to correct a student’s errors in reading that will not create a perceived threat. [group]

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. What percentage of reading instruction time do students spend in individual, large group, and small group activities in your classroom? [individual]

Individual %:

Large group %:

Small group %:

6. For each category below, what are the barriers to using small group instruction. (The answer may be “none” to some or all of these categories.) What is one way you can mitigate or overcome this barrier? [individual and group]

Category	Action
Administration / Supervisors’ directions or policies
Classroom policies / rules
Resources and facilities
Curriculum and instructional requirements
Your own lesson design
Instructional time
Student characteristics, personalities, needs, and relationships

C. Reflection and Discussion Questions

Reflect on the following questions. Write your responses, and then share your response with two or three other people for discussion.

1. How can I balance my responsibilities as the authority in the classroom with the need to develop positive relationships with students?
2. Beyond the three conditions for learning described in this chapter, what other conditions contribute to student learning, and how can I help create or reinforce those conditions?
3. Would students benefit from increased small-group learning time in my classroom, and, if so, what instructional strategies can I use to increase small-group learning time?
4. Would students benefit from increased reading instruction time in my classroom, and, if so, what can I do to increase the time spent in reading instruction?

D. Major Take-aways and Quotes to Remember

Write the critical ideas or content from the chapter that you would like to keep in mind as you plan your reading instruction. After writing them here, transfer them to individual cards and tape the cards some place where you will see them when planning instruction.

1. Main ideas or content to remember

 

 

 

 

Top quotes to remember

 

 

 

 

E. Next Steps, Future Actions, Ideas to Try

Think about new actions you would like to try, actions you want to do more frequently, actions you want to do less frequently, and current actions you want to do differently. Write them under “action.” Select whether it will be a new action, increased action, decreased action, or changed action. Explain why.

Action	Action Type	Reason
	new increased decreased differently
	new increased decreased differently
	new increased decreased differently
	new increased decreased differently
	new increased decreased differently
	new increased decreased differently